Our view: Governor should sign e-mail bill

AT ISSUE: Law would create easier access for public to personal records.

AT ISSUE: Law would create easier access for public to personal records.

A bill that relies on today’s technology — e-mail — was approved last week by the state Legislature and has been sent to Gov. David Paterson for his approval.

He should sign it into law.

Specifically, the bill — sponsored by Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito, D-Rome, and Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida — requires state agencies to accept and respond to requests for public information by e-mail. That means if you want available documents and records that contain your personal information from any state agency, you would be able to get it via e-mail.

Destito, who has successfully sponsored numerous bills in recent years to make government more accessible to the public, said this bill is modeled after the reporting law requirements of the state’s Freedom of Information Law. That law requires state agencies to send requested public documents by e-mail when they have the ability to do so.

This bill would extend that requirement to the Personal Privacy Protection Law, which allows people who have data kept about them by state agencies — Department of Motor Vehicles information, for instance — to receive copies of that information from the agency.

This only makes sense. It makes for quick and easy access to records via today’s advancing technology, making government more transparent — as it should be.